“A garden is never so good as it will be next year”
“A garden is never so good as it will be next year”
– Thomas Cooper
Yes, I’m already mulling over the garden plan for next year. I find it to be of great value to do it this time of year when what you would like to change are fresh in your mind. As you walk around the garden, take a note of things that didn’t go quite as planned. One of the main things I want to bring back from previous gardens is the tripods for trellising climbing beans and cucumbers.
There’s a reason Thomas Jefferson used this method for his climbing plants year after year. I’ve tried many different methods of support and these have been my favorite by far.
This winter I plan on heading out into the woodlot to start collecting large saplings for using as trellises. I also need to build trellises for peas and other climbers and I’ll be looking for good trees to use for tomato supports as well. Bigger, better, more natural supports is definitely the area I need to think about now and plan so I can collect my supplies while the garden is asleep. I’ve also been thinking about the quantity of each variety of vegetable that I want to grow, noticing what we eat up quickly and what seems to linger on the vine too long. The results should be better use of my garden space with less work wasted.
What things are you noticing this year that you want to change next gardening season?
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Under the Weather
I’ve been feeling under the weather since last friday, a trip to a health professional resulted in antibiotics for a nasty infection in the bone. It’s going to take a week or so to bounce back from this illness along with a follow up procedure next week, which may add a few more days to my recovery. I’m trying my hardest to give my body the rest it needs to heal. While I try to heal my body in the most natural way possible, I’m very thankful to live in a time when antibiotics are easy to come by and medical procedures are well advanced. I’m also thankful for the holistic team of medical professionals we have been able to find here in Maine.
The result of my illness is lots of time spent in bed resting, wavering between that state of consciousness and sleep, just barely aware of my surroundings. I’m tired from both the infection and the medication, this is exactly what I need right now. Most often there is a cat snuggled up next to me, which we have coined as “medicine pets”. I’m also drinking lots of tea made with astragulus, dandelion, kelp and ginger to help my body fight off the infection and lessen the toxicity of the treatment. Probiotics have also been a mainstay in my regimen, something that should help me return to full health much more quickly than without, they are well worth the expense when taking antibiotics.
Rest doesn’t come naturally to me, I’m an on the go person by nature. Being sick though, I’m quite tired, so it hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it would to spend my days resting. I still get a bit fidgety at times, so decided it might be a good time to finally tackle the rainbow merino afghan I bought yarn for a few months ago. If I have something to keep my hands busy during parts of the day I will be more likely to get the rest I need. Perhaps I’ll even be able to get it finished during the coming weeks, but I’m trying not to set a goal so I don’t feel obliged to work on it if I don’t want to.
What’s your favorite restful activity? Do you have any great immune boosting tonics to share?
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Quote of the Day: Benjamin Disraeli
“How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence.”
~Benjamin Disraeli
I hope you are finding peace in your garden this weekend.
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Quote of the Day: James Thurber
“There are two kinds of light — the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.”
-James Thurber
When you take photos you become keenly aware of light and the intensity of it during certain parts of the day. Photos will look completely different when taken when the sun is high in the sky than they will be during that golden hour before sunset. Generally I try to take photos when the light is the illuminating kind. The same goes for us, we can choose to emit a light that illuminates and enhances everything around us, or we can cast a harsh light that obscures beauty, color and detail.
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Quote of the Day: Janet Kilburn Phillips
“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.”
-Janet Kilburn Phillips
I was talking with someone recently who was mortified of planting perennials because “Once you put them somewhere they can’t be moved”. I am not that kind of gardener, I move perennials all the time. In fact I often purchase perennials and plant them in a holding area of the garden while I decide where to put them or move other perennials to make space for them. In my garden I move any plant, small trees, shrubs, annual and perennials. As long as you get a big enough root ball and water well for a month or so just about any plant can be moved. In fact, many perennials do much better when they’re dug up and divided every few years. Gardening is the ultimate form of art because there really are no mistakes, it’s all part of the process.
Do you have any gardening fears?
